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FDJ: Conclusion of the European Commission’s investigation

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FDJ takes note of the European Commission’s decision concluding that no State aid was granted to FDJ during its privatisation and that the equalisation payment should be re-evaluated from €380 million to €477 million, i.e. an additional sum of €97 million.

This decision concludes the formal investigation that the European Commission opened on 26 July 2021 to determine whether the €380 million sum that FDJ paid to secure its exclusive rights to operate point-of-sale sports betting and the lottery for a 25-year term, was appropriate.

FDJ welcomes the closure of this investigation and the European Commission’s confirmation, in line with the French Conseil d’Etat’s decision of 14 April 2023, that the legal framework adopted when the Group was privatised was robust.

FDJ has also taken note of the additional equalisation amount, valued by the European Commission at €97 million. The equalisation payment re-evaluated at €477 million is within the range initially established by the French Commission des participations et des transferts  in its opinion no. 2019-A.C.-1 of 7 October 2019.

 Impact on net profit and on the calculation of the dividend per share

This additional equalisation payment is recognised as an intangible asset – “exclusive operating rights”, in the same way as the initial amount of €380 million. As such, it will be amortised over 25 years starting on 23 May 2019, which is the effective date of the Pacte Law no. 2019-486.

FDJ Group announces that it will base its future dividend payments, beginning with those relating to its results for the 2024 financial year, on the adjusted net profit.

This adjusted net profit reflects FDJ’s actual economic performance and allows the Group to monitor and compare its performance against its competitors. It is based on the consolidated net profit restated for the following items:

  • In 2024:
    • the additional amortisation over the 2019-2023 period recognised under exclusive rights in France amounting to €17.9 million.
    • The non-cash impact of the currency hedge relating to the acquisition of Kindred Group, which is recognised under financial result.
  • Depreciation and amortisation of intangible and tangible assets recognised or revalued when allocating the purchase price of business combinations.
  • And changes in tax resulting from these items.

Note that total amortisation of exclusive operating rights will amount to €37.0 million in 2024 and €19.1 million in 2025 after €15.2 million in 2023.

FDJ Group recalls that since 10 May and the French Court of Cassation’s ruling in favour of the FDJ Group in its dispute with Soficoma, which enabled it to cancel 3% of its share capital, the Group’s share capital now stands at 185,270,000 shares.

The post FDJ: Conclusion of the European Commission’s investigation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

BetGuard

The blueprint for North American scalability

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The Mill Adventure’s CCO, Bjørnar Heggernes, looks at how operators in North America can adopt a compliance-first, technology-driven approach to turn complex challenges into long-term growth.

North America presents one of the most potentially lucrative, yet structurally complex, opportunities in the global industry. Those looking to enter the region are presented with a highly fragmented map of state-by-state and province-by-province regulations, where crossing a border often means navigating an entirely new set of rules.

Considering Ontario, the regulated market earlier this year reported impressive 26% year-on-year growth, with total sports betting and online casino wagers approaching the $100 billion mark. However, succeeding in a market of that scale requires a grounded, knowledge-based perspective on where the real barriers to entry lie. Market access for an operator is one crucial element, but sustainable growth depends on aligning technology, operations, and compliance into a foundation built to scale efficiently from the start.

At The Mill Adventure, we don’t view our recent GLI-19 certification as a standalone announcement or a surface-level achievement. Instead, we see it as a foundational milestone that underpins our approach to North American expansion.

For operators, the true value of an advanced, certified platform lies in what it enables: the ability to operate across multiple regulated environments under a unified, consistent compliance framework. Moving into a new jurisdiction should not mean a full operational rebuild or adding complex layers on top of each other. When compliance is embedded at the platform level as a core pillar, it becomes easier to adapt at speed and with less risk. Market entry is then a question of readiness, not reinvention.

This core strength and adaptability unlock long-term scalability, allowing operators to execute a broader strategy with the confidence that the foundational technology is compliant from the outset.

From certification to operational readiness

Beyond the technical specifications of GLI-19, the operational essentials that shape launch readiness demand equal focus. Our experience tells us that compliance-first architecture is about meeting the day-to-day challenges, not simply passing an initial audit.

Robust infrastructure must handle complex regulatory reporting requirements and rigorous, ongoing certification and licensing processes. The platform remains the backbone of a compliant offering, supported by the necessary seamless integration of third-party services. In Ontario and other North American jurisdictions, this goes beyond core controls such as session limits and identity checks for KYC, which need to be embedded to meet market requirements. It extends to integrations with player protection systems such as BetGuard, Ontario’s self-exclusion system requiring real-time syncing and seamless verification, geolocation precision, and system traceability when it comes to data storage and audit trails.

As well as compliance, operators also need to consider how platform technology can support a stronger launch and gain maximum impact from day one. This requires platform providers to offer complete readiness in terms of infrastructure, careful coordination with third-party suppliers, and comprehensive go-live planning. Get this process right and operators can reduce friction, allowing them to focus more firmly on growth.

Compliance beyond Ontario

A rigorous approach to operational readiness sets the stage for our upcoming operator launch in Ontario. Building on the supplier license already secured in the province and our recent GLI-19 certification, the launch will put our North American entry strategy into practice in one of the region’s most demanding regulated markets. Successfully deploying our platform will demonstrate how our technology supports the operational and technical realities of compliance across the region.

That said, receiving AGCO approval to provide our full-service player account management platform, achieving the GLI-19 standard and entering Ontario are not the finish line for us. In this sector, compliance is an ongoing evolution rather than a static destination, and our roadmap reflects that reality. GLI-33 certification forms the next natural step in our platform’s continued development. As the convergence of casino and sports betting continues to define the player experience, pursuing GLI-33 is a key part of our ongoing investment in anticipating where regulation is heading, not just responding to it.

The fragmented nature of North America will continue to challenge operators, but it will reward those who build on the right foundation. By prioritizing a technology-driven, compliance-first approach to platform provision, The Mill Adventure is delivering the consistency, stability, and repeatability that operators need to scale sustainably.

The post The blueprint for North American scalability appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Aviator

Pernambuco court revokes Spribe’s interim relief in Aviator trademark dispute

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TJPE cites a Brasília federal ruling that suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s AVIATOR registration and barred exclusivity claims during nullity proceedings.

The Court of Justice of Pernambuco (TJPE) has revoked preliminary appellate relief previously granted to Spribe OÜ in litigation over the AVIATOR trademark in Brazil.

In a monocratic decision, Justice Andrea Epaminondas Tenorio de Brito held that the factual and legal basis for the earlier injunction no longer exists. The court pointed to a subsequent decision by the Federal Court in Brasília that provisionally suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s Brazilian AVIATOR trademark registration and ordered Spribe to refrain from asserting exclusivity based on that registration while federal nullity proceedings are ongoing.

TJPE said its earlier relief relied on the presumption that Spribe’s trademark registration before Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) was fully valid and enforceable. With the federal court suspending the registration’s effects, the Pernambuco court found the underlying circumstances had materially changed.

The court cited Article 296 of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure as the basis for revoking the preliminary relief in light of the changed legal situation.

The post Pernambuco court revokes Spribe’s interim relief in Aviator trademark dispute appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Pernambuco court revokes Spribe interim relief in AVIATOR trademark dispute

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pernambuco-court-revokes-spribe-interim-relief-in-aviator-trademark-dispute

The Court of Justice of Pernambuco (TJPE) has revoked preliminary appellate relief previously granted to Spribe OÜ in ongoing litigation over the use of the AVIATOR trademark in Brazil, citing a change in the legal circumstances supporting the earlier decision.

In a monocratic decision, Justice Andrea Epaminondas Tenorio de Brito concluded that the factual and legal basis for the prior injunction no longer exists. The ruling follows a decision by the Federal Court in Brasília that provisionally suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s Brazilian AVIATOR trademark registration.

According to the press release, the federal court also ordered Spribe to refrain from asserting exclusivity based on that registration until the federal nullity proceedings are resolved.

TJPE said its earlier decision had relied on the presumption that Spribe’s trademark registration with the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) was fully valid and enforceable. With the federal court now suspending the legal effects of that registration, the Pernambuco court held that the foundation for interim relief had materially changed, prompting revocation under Article 296 of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure.

The post Pernambuco court revokes Spribe interim relief in AVIATOR trademark dispute appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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